Rank the Mass Effect Series

First one has to be ME1, just for being so awesome at the time, for introducing this universe and for not yet having the constant inconsistencies and stupidities that got introduced by the later games.

ME2 comes next, great game but it introduced some really weird things into the lore and it neglected the trilogy plot, a mistake ME3 had to pay for.

ME3 has the best and smoothest gameplay of any of the ME games, it's great how many concequences the devs put into the plot and how they managed to make the main characters feel like true friends at this point. However, the story is rushed and non-sensical at times and it also introduces some weird stuff. And then of course, there is Kai Leng and the endings, which degrades it to rank number 3.

ME:A, while not necessarily a bad game doesn't hold up to the trilogy in terms of characters, story, style and design. Despite the fact that it has it's good sides (decent gameplay, finally a proper vehicle and a pretty satisfying finale) and that it dared something new, it's overall medicore execution ultimately puts it in last place. All the sloppy mistakes and bugs at the initial release certainly didn't help either.

So all in all, the ME series has been going down hill ever since it started. However, it started so damn high that even ME:A ended up being at least a decent game after the patches were out. Over all, the trilogy -despite all its issues - does rank at the very top of my all time favorite games.

^This is mine. I do think my love of ME1 is partially nostalgia as it was my first Bioware game. I was hooked maybe 15 minutes into the game on both ME and Bioware. But I still love going back to it for another run every couple of years. While I liked ME2 I have replayed it the least of all ME games.

MEA gets the most last place votes.

I thought we weren't supposed to trust polls on a fan site though?

For me its 1 > 2 > A > 3.

1 because it really established the series and had a great story.

2 for its more personal story, awesome cast and better mechanics. Would have been number 1, but it really felt more like a side story when I think it should have been used to develop the original cast instead. Also stripped too much of the RPG out.

Andromeda- good mechanics, decent RPG stuff, brought down by ugly character models (everyone has the mumps!), some inconsistent writing and not enough really exciting moments. I liked the companions, though, and thought they were well-written for the most part. Even if I was constantly afraid that they'd give me their puffY giant cheekbone disease.

3 because it broke my heart. The ending is the obvious reason, but more than that, it basically turned the entire cast of ME2 into and afterthought (that whole side story thing again), gave us a new character no one really cared about in Vega, and basically failed catastrophically on making our choices mean anything outside of a resource number. Save the Rachni? Heres 50 points. Didn't save the Rachni? Heres the same mission with an imposter, but you lose points instead. Oh and your companions that died? Heres a replacement. It really became the culmination of what happens when you don't plan ahead. Had some good moments with your companions, but it wasn't enough to save it from all the other issues, imo.

Personally, as they were relased ME, ME2, ME3 and MEA.

ME2, ME1, ME3, MEA.

AT least ME3 didn't just dump on the lore, and throw at us such baffling story choices like Andromeda. Then attempt to b..lshit it's way through trying to explain how and why they went, plus all the utter b..lshit science behind the trip in the first place, utterly destroying the lore of the original trilogy.

At least 3 and it's horrible ending took part in a consistant mass effect universe. MEA is so bad it is now a coffee coaster.